Thursday, May 18, 2017

The painting of Mr. Cobb was done by Dick Perez, one of America's foremost artists of famous baseball players. Contact Mr. Perez - dickperez@dickperez.com

Cobb was the first player elected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY in 1936 with 222 of 226 votes.Babe Ruth finished 2nd.

"He was a cross between a tidal wave, cyclone and earthquake-fire, wind and water, Then out of the air comes the glitter of steel, plus ten tons of dynamite hitched to a spark." Grantland Rice

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A famous iconic photo of Cobb sliding into third base. This is one of baseball's most famous photos and hangs in the Hall of Fame.

Cobb was a superlative outfielder.

Ty with his famous hands apart batting grip

The Peach won this luxurious Chalmers "30" car valued at $2.700 by winning the batting title in 1911 with a 420 average

He led the Tigers to pennants 1907-08-09

Ty Cobb was
not a racist. Pictured here with Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe.
Newcombe was the Dodgers starting pitcher for the first game of the 1949 World
Series. He shakes hands with Hall of Famer Ty Cobb. With Cobb is nine year old
Bruce Howard, a recovering polio victim who threw out the game's first pitch.
The Dodgers lost the game 1-0.

The 1918 season was shortened due to the war. Cobb hit
384 winning his 11th batting title. He joined the Chemical Warfare Service of
the U. S. Army and was commissioned a Captain.

Cobb & Walter Johnson, one of the most feared pitchers in the league. Cobb had 120 hits in 328 AB's for an average of 366. Cobb's lifetime average was 367.

Cobb and Honus Wagner at the 1909 World Series won by the Pittsburg PiratesBabe Ruth and Cobb were bitter enemies during their playing days, they became good friends after they retired. They fished, hunted and enjoyed playing golf. Cobb in traditional pose with 3 bats on his shoulder.

Unlike todays players, Cobb never charged a fan to sign an autograph.

Portrait taken in 1913

Cobb was one of the first players to endorse corporate products. From oranges, Louisville Slugger bats, Coca-Colo, clothing and many more.He was known for his agresssive style of play; he never intentional spiked anyone, nor did he sharpen his spikes.

Ty Cobb trading card - 1909

Ty Cobb & Peanuts - Charles Schultz

Cobb was an excellent golfer. He used the most expensive handmade clubs & golfed with the great Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and President Dwight D. Eisenhower.Cobb ended his career with the Philadelphia Athletics managed by Cornelius McGillicuddy (Connie) Mack - 1927-28. He batted 323 in his final year.Cobb had a band named after him

Ty Cobb played for the Detroit Tigers from 1905to 1926 and is regarded as one of the greatest athletes to ever play on a baseball diamond. His base-s stealing record (892) lasted over 50 years. He established many records, some still on the books.

He led the league in batting 12 times and his lifetime average of 367 is still the best. He hit over 400 three times. He had 4191 hits,a record that was broken by Pete Rose with 4292 on September 11, 1985.His record of 54 steals of home without ever being thrown out still remains on the books.

On February 2, 1936, he was chosen as the first played to be elected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Babe Ruth finished second.

It was his blazing hot intensity that set Cobb apart from all the others. He demanded of himself that he be the best, to always finish first. He was volatile but unparalleded as a player for 24 years. He fiercely battled anyone who stood in his path. He was hypersensitive, intelligent and determined to be the best ballplayer of his day; he acheived his dream. He was the king of baseball.In my one-man show, I portray many sides of him. He quietly took care of down and out older ballplayers; founded the Cobb Memorial Hospital in Royston, GA and the Cobb Educational Foundation that provides scholorships for Georgia students who qualified regardless of race.A theater critic said of the show, "What Hal Holbrook was to Mark Twain, Coleman is to Cobb." Another called the show, "Entertaining, humorous & historical; a walk down memory lane in baseball and American history."

The show takes place in Cobb's hotel in Atlanta, Georgia on the evening of July 17, 1961. He is reminising his life with a sports reporter who interviews him for a local newspaper. He talks about growing up in Georgia, his playing days with the Tigers, post baseball career and his friendships with many presidents he knew. He spins anecdotes about friends like Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Ted Williams, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Clark Gable & Vivien Leigh.

Norm Coleman has performed Ty Cobb over 150 times since 2008.

Who is Norm Coleman?

Norm Coleman was born in Brooklyn, NY near Ebbets Field and has been and still is a Dodger fan. Norm was an award winning professional photographer for thirty years with a portrait studio in San Mateo, California just south of San Francisco. His specialty was weddings, portraits and commercial photography. Norm recreated his life at seventy taking the stage for the first time in his life in 2004. He fell in love with theater and started his research on Cobb and created his one-man show:Ty Cobb – “The greatest player that ever played the game”